With the increase in reported cases of tuberculosis, TB, in Pennsylvania - from 318 in 2007 to 345 in 2008 - the State Health Secretary Everette James has emphasized the need to increase public awareness about the contagious disease, as well as the efforts to control, and eradicate it in due course.

Even though the year-on-year figures show an increase TB cases in Pennsylvania, the figures for the decade 1998-2008 indicate a 23 percent drop in the rate of TB cases in the state, largely due to global efforts, like World TB Day, to create awareness about the disease.

TB, an airborne disease, primarily affects the lungs, and its common symptoms include persistent cough, fever, night sweats, fatigue, loss of appetite, and weight loss. The communicable disease spreads when the air gets infected with the TB bacteria, from the coughing, sneezing or even talking of a person with pulmonary TB disease.

Referring to the Department figures, revealing that 12 percent of the reported cases were resistant to one conventional TB treatment medication or the other, Secretary James said: "We are seeing more cases resistant to medication, which makes the disease more difficult and costly to treat. We must continue to be diligent in our efforts to educate the public about this disease in order to prevent its spread."